Bake-oven-feeding apparatus



- July 1, 1930. A. w. BRANDEEN fr AL 1,769,201

BAKE OVEN FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Sept. ll 1928 IN VEN TORS Wztnes. l BY MW ma@ A TTORNEY.

Patented July 1, 1930 d UNITED [FES ARTHUR W. BRANDEEN AND LESLIE H. DION, or' GRAND nAPIDsQMIcHrGAN .l

'BAKE-oVEN-FEEDiNe ArrARATUs Y.

Amilicanon ined september 1, 192e. serial No. 303,420.

`This invention relates to a powerdriven apparatus for sliding pans of bread dough into a'fbake oven. n y `The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved apparatus by the use of lwhich anumbe'r o'ffbread lpans containing dough are simultaneously moved into an oven;-to provide an apparatus which will permit the operation ofa large oven by one many where two havefheretofore been rey'quir'ed, and to provide such an apparatus which is simple in construction and eilici'entin'OperatiOn.

j Ani illustrative *embodiment of this invention is shown inthe accompanying drawings in which: F ig; l is aV fragmentary view partly in perspective and partly in elevation of one end of abake oven equipped with our improved apparatus. j v

F ig; 2 `is a plan rView of the same.v Fig. '3 is a diagrammatic viewr showing the different positions of the feeding bar relative to the upper and lower trackways. Fig. 4 is-.a ,fragmentary view showing the different positionsof thefeeding'bar with relation' to the bread pans. f

' In the construction shown in the drawings `a vbake oven 1 is shown equipped with our improved feeding apparatus which comprises a feed bar 2 adapted to extendv across the front of the oven 1. The bar 2 is supported at each end in identically the same manner and operated by the same kind of mechanism shown at one end thereof as illustrated inF ig. lwill suffice for both.

A lower trackway 3 is mounted on upf.

standing supports t and 5 on the oven 1 for supporting the adjacent end of the feed bar 2, said bar being provided with a roller 6 for bearing on the trackway. The front end of the trackway 3is curved upwardly as shown at 7 and then rearwardly as shown at 8in spaced relation to the remainder' of the trackway.

An upper return trackway 9 is provided in spaced relation above the trackway 3 and in spaced relation below the rearwardly turned end 8. The front end 10 of the mechanism so that a .description of the return trackway 9-is curved slightlydown wardly and terminates in spaced relation to the curved portionY 7 of the lowe'rtrackway.

The lmain portion of the` trackway 9Eis substantially parallel to the lower trackway 3 but the rear portion 11 thereof ishingedly connected thereto as shown at 12 and' the l freeend 13-normally rests by gravity on the lowerl trackway 3i f 'f An identical set of track'waysprovided at the Yopposite side ofthe oven for supporting the opposite end of'the'ifeed bar v,2 and these trackways are rso positioned with respect to the floor of theovenfl that when the bar 2 is'on the lower trackway, itiwill abut against the endsv of a 'l plurality of bread pans 14 and whenon the upper or returntrackway'f) said bar will be iii/spaced relation abovesaid bread pans as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. y

Adjacent eachl side of the oven a sprocket chain 15y is journalledon a sprocket drive gearV 16, idler wheels '171`and1.18, anda curved guideway 19. A link 2O is pivotally connected at one end to the sprocket chain 15 Yand is connected at its otherl endto the. adjacent end ofthe feed bar 2. The drive `sprocket 16 is keyed to 'a shaft 21 journalled in a bearing boXf22 mounted on supporting frame 23 and the opposite end of shaft 21 carries a sprocket. gear .24 driven by Va sprocket chain 25 from any suitable source ofpower (not-shown) vAguard 26zissupported, by a bracket 27 mounted onvframe l23,-for protecting theV sprocket chain 15; at

.the point where it .guidewayf19 f. I

`The positions of thesprockety 16, idlers `17 yand 18 and guideway 19 are such that when the chain 15 is driven in a direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, the feed bar 2 will go through a certain predetermined cycle of motion. Assuming the bar to be in a posi-- ltion shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the travelv of the sprocket chain-15 will cause the bar to slide rearwardly onthe lower trackway .3 to apoint beyond the free end 13 ofthe hinged upper ,trackportion ,11 as shown in ldotted outline in said Fig. 1. VAs the feed 4bar travels rearwardly during this period, v

passes around the curve-d it contacts with the under side of the hinged track portion 11 and raises it to the position shown in dotted outline in Figs. 1 and 3. After the bar has passed beyond the free end 13 theliinged portion will drop by gravity back on to the lower trackway 3.

Continued motion of the sprocket chain 15 then causes the feed bar 2 to move forwardly on the rear end of the trackway 3 up the inclined hinged portions 11 and then horizontally forwardly .onthe 4return' track 9 until the bar drops by gravity from the front end 10 of said trackway on to the lower trackway 3 whereupon the cycle of motion is repeated.

`In the use of this feeding device, the bread pans 14C are set along side by side as shown iii the drawings and rearward movement of the feed bar 2 will move the bread pans back into the oven 1. As soon as the pans have been moved rearwardly a distance equal to the length of the pans, additional bread pans are placed by the operator at the frontend of the oven 1 in the same manner' as before. In the return movement of Vthe feed bar 2 it-will travel forwardly in spaced relation above the bread pans as shown most clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings until the front end of the track 9 is reached at which time it will dropto the lower trackway to engage the second and succeeding rows of bread pans. Y

, Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has .been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the vconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the fol-k lowing claims.

Ve claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a feeding bar adapted to extend across the front of an oven, a lower trackway forY supporting each end of' said bar at a height to engage bread pans, a return trackway in spaced relation above each of said lower trackways, the rear portions of said return trackways being hinged and the free ends thereof normally resting by gravity on said lower trackways and means for imparting horizontal reciprocating motion to said feeding bar to move said bar through a predetermined cycle of motion constituting the movenient of said feed bar rearwardly-on said f lower trackways to a point beyond `the free ends of said hinged portions, then forwardly up said hinged portions and past the front ends of said return trackways, so as to cause said bar to drop by gravity to said lower trackways in order to repeat'the aforesaid `cycle of movements.

to engage bread pans, the front ends of said lower trackways being curved upwardly and then rearwardly in spaced relation thereto, a return trackway in spaced relation above each of said lower trackways and in spaced relation below the rearwardly turned ends thereof, the front ends of said return trackways terminating in spaced relation to the curved front ends of said lower trackways, the rear portions of said return trackways being hinged and the free ends thereof nor- A mally resting by gravity on said lower trackways and means for impartinghorizontal reciprocating motion to said feeding bar to move said bar through a predetermined cycle of motion constituting the movement of saidV feed bar rearwardly on said lower trackways to a point beyond the free ends `of said hinged portions, then forwardly up Y said hinged Vportions and Vpast the frontV ends of said return trackways, so` as to'cause said bar to drop by gravity to said lower, trackways iii order to repeat the aforesaid Vcycle of movements.

3. A device of the class described comprising a feeding bar adapted to extend Y across the front of an oven, a `lower trackway for supporting each end of `saidrbarvat a height to engage bread .pans, aA return trackway in spaced relation above each of said lower trackways, the rear portions' of said return trackways being' hinged and the free ends thereof normally resting by gravity on said lower trackways, ,a sprocket chain journalled at eachendofV said, feed bar, arms connecting said chains with the adjacent ends of said feed. bar and means for driving saidcliains to move said feed bar rearwardly on said .lower trackways to a point beyond .the free ends of said hinged portions then forwardly up said hinged portions and past the-front ends of said return trackways so as to'cause said bai-.toY drop by gravity on to said lower trackways to repeat the' aforesaid cycle of movements. t

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands at Grand Rapids, Michigan lthis 29th day of August, 1928.

' ARTHUR W. BRANDEEN.

t LESLIE H. DION.

2. A'device of the class described compris- 1 ing a feeding bar-adapted to extend across the front of an oven, a lower trackway for supporting each end of said bar at a height 

